


Unkindness of Ravens

by Ariss_Tenoh



Category: Pet Shop of Horrors
Genre: Complete, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2013-12-27
Packaged: 2018-01-06 08:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1104538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariss_Tenoh/pseuds/Ariss_Tenoh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beware the raven soaring between the skies...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unkindness of Ravens

Leon was tired, bone tired. He'd been hopping from country to country chasing that Evil Bastard and with nothing to show for it but a diminishing bank account and the loss of his sense of time due to crossing several time zones in the same week.

 

Something squawked near him and he turned to look. It was a raven. He'd never really looked closely at one before. For one thing, it was a lot bigger than a pigeon and looked mean and angry. But its feathers were black and glossy, so black they burned blue in the sunlight. The bird kept looking at him and Leon stared back.

 

"You are not afraid?"

 

He looked up and saw a tall man dressed entirely in black, long black hair tied back in a ponytail. That wasn't unusual in winter but Leon's instinct told him to be careful.

 

"No, it's just a bird after all." 

 

"Really." The man smiled, a strange look crossing his face for just a moment. Then he sat down on the bench beside Leon.

 

Leon turned to look at him. The raven hopped to perch on Leon's jeans'-clad knee. The man in black stared at Leon.

 

"You seem tired, my friend." It was said simply with no inflection or emotion attached.

 

"That's 'cause I am," Leon said dryly. The "you idiot" was heavily implied.

 

The man looked down at the raven. "Most people are afraid of ravens, of their voice or their colour." 

 

What a weirdo, thought Leon. "There are better things to be afraid of in the world than a big, noisy, black bird."

 

"Indeed." The man replied. "You are American?" He looked at Leon.

 

"What gave it away? My accent?" 

 

"Your hideous fashion sense." 

 

Leon burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. When he could breathe again, he saw the look of puzzlement on the man's face. 

 

"I'm sorry. You remind me of a friend of mine. He used to say the same thing." 

 

The man smiled. "He was a wise friend then."

 

Leon sobered, "Yeah." 

 

After another lull in the conversation and between Leon having a staring contest with the bird on his knee, which the bird appeared to be winning, his new acquaintance said, "Do you know they keep ravens in the Tower of London?"

 

"Huh?" Leon looked at where the man was pointing. "Why?"

 

"It's said the kingdom would fall if there are no ravens at the tower. And so they clip their wings to keep them there."

 

Leon snorted inelegantly. "Oh sure. Blame it on the birds. I bet D would have something to say about the cruelty of humans again if he knew about this. Hell, he probably knows."

 

"Your friend?"

 

"Yeah, I've been looking for him."

 

"Tell me about him?"

 

"Why?" Leon looked at the man with suspicion in his eyes. His cop instinct screamed at him to move away. 

 

The man extended his arm and the raven hopped on to his wrist. "I travel a lot in my line of work. I might have met your friend." 

 

Leon was still suspicious but what the hell. He was getting nowhere on his own and telling a stranger his troubles wouldn't really hurt; it's not as if any sane man would believe the things D had got up to. Yet, the man listened with a thoughtful expression on his face and not once did he interrupt or ask a question no matter how outlandish the tales became.

 

"And so, I think the son of a bitch was trying to protect me or push me away or something and then he up and left. I'm furious every time I remember what he did," Leon huffed.

 

"You would like to find him, yes? And then what would you do?"

 

"I.. I don't know," Leon stared at his hands and decided he really needed a cigarette even if he'd been trying to quit. He lit a cigarette and said quietly, "I just want to see him again." 

 

Okay, that sounded slightly stalker-ish even to him and he turned to look at the man's reaction. The man met Leon's gaze and smiled. 

 

"Perhaps I will be able to help you." The man stood up and Leon belatedly realized how tall he was. "Meet me here tomorrow at the same time and I'll have the information for you." 

 

"Why are you helping me?" Leon stood up as well.

 

"Because you were kind to the bird. You didn't hit it."

 

Leon was surprised and turned to the bird which had moved to the back of the bench now. "I wouldn't hit an animal for no reason."

 

"Yes, and you don't realise how rare that is among humans."

 

The next day found Leon standing at the same spot, staring at the Tower of London and waiting for the man to show up. He didn't have to wait long. The man appeared, greeted him and handed him a piece of paper with an address on it. 

 

"Japan?! That's where he is!" Leon fumed. And after all the European cities he'd been searching for D in, the devious count was in Japan all along. 

 

"Hey, thanks. I mean, thanks a lot," he said in a hurry once it was apparent the man was leaving immediately. 

 

"It's all right. I'm glad I was able to be of assistance to you." The man smiled again and turned to leave. "I must go. My brother is waiting for me."

 

"Uh.. I didn't catch your name. My name's Leon Orcot," Leon shouted at the man's retreating back. 

 

The man turned to look at him. "My name is Muninn." And then he disappeared into thin air.

 

Leon stared. "Oh shit.."

 

* * *

 

Whatever Count D expected to see when he opened his shop's door that morning, it certainly wasn't an extremely angry, and familiar, American man standing there and glaring as if he could burn D on the spot with the strength of his fury.

 

Said American then proceeded to punch D's face, hard. 

 

D fell flat on his back on the floor.

 

Some indeterminate time later, D served tea and watched the animals in his pet shop fawn over Leon and comment on how much they'd missed the human. Traitors, D thought, all of them. D seated himself before Leon and poured tea for them. He noted that the detective was finally learning how to hold a cup of tea and sip it properly.

 

"May I inquire how you found me?" D ventured.

 

Leon glared at him. It was a formidable glare despite having a raccoon draped over his shoulder, a cat curled on his feet, and several birds perched on his blond hair and broad shoulders.

 

"A guy called Muninn told me where to find you. He's one of your _friends_ isn't he?" Leon's sharp eyes were fixed on D's face.

 

D couldn't hide his dismay. He sighed and served a slice of strawberry cake to the detective. He shouldn't be surprised. There was a reason a group of ravens was called an _unkindness of ravens_. 

 

~ End ~

**Author's Note:**

> Written on April 3rd 2010.


End file.
